Since ancient times people have desired to preserve meats for long periods of storage. Recently, the art has evolved a number of intermediate-moisture preservation systems which enable storage under aerobic conditions. The present invention provides an improved system of this type.
The great majority of intermediate-moisture preservation systems rely on soluble solids such as sugars, salts, polyhydric alcohols, and the like which, due to their relatively low molecular weights and resultant high osmotic pressure effects render the water in these products unavailable to support bacterial growth. This effect has been explained on the basis of Raoult's Law. Much work has been focused on the sugars, polyhydric alcohols and other such water binders, and the art has largely overlooked the possibility that there may be combinations of certain salts which provide an unexpected degree of effectiveness and unusually good flavor.